The Big Book of Adventure Stories

The Big Book of Adventure Stories Ed. by Otto Penzler

It seems an odd thing to say about a book this hefty – those are 874 double-columned pages! – but it’s the economy of the storytelling that impresses the most here. It seems everything moves at the same breathless pace, with scarcely a wasted word. Classic authors (Jack London, H. G. Wells, Louis L’Amour), classic characters (Conan, Tarzan, Zorro) and classic tales (“The Most Dangerous Game,” “Leiningen versus the Ants,” “The Man Who Would Be King”) are all included, as well as more obscure pieces and even some twenty-first century tales. There’s no question it’s a man’s world and about as politically incorrect as it can be, but this is one anthology that lives up to its cover’s vintage hyperbole. Lots of fun!